Watch and similar cleaning machines



Feb. 3, 1959 s. LANZETTER WATCH AND SIMILAR CLEANING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 7, 1956 V Invader L Attorneys Feb.3, 1959 s. LANZETTER 2,871,367

' WATCH AND SIMILAR CLEANING MACHINES Filed March 7, 1 956 I Y s Sheets-Sheet 2 Ina/calm- Attorneys Feb. 3, 1959 s. LANZETTER WATCH AND SIMILAR CLEANING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 7, 1956 R 5 me n N N E v m w a r 4 Z w W B Feb. 3, 1959 SPLANZETTER WATCH AND SIMILAR CLEANING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 7, 1956 ka-u;

Attemp- Feb. 3, v 1959' s. LANZETTER I 2,871,867

WATCH AND SIMILAR CLEANING MACHINES Filed March 7, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Unitfid tates Patent WATCH AND SIMILAR CLEANING MACHINES Saul Lanzetter, Manchester, England Application March. 7, 1956, Serial No. 570,026 1 3 Claims. ('Clf134-58)- This invention relates. toimprovements in watch and similar cleaning machinesof the type in which the watch or other-small-partsare-placedin meshbaskets and rotated in turn in one or more cleaning and like ars.

The object of the present invention is to operate the machine automatically by raising the basket periodically from one jar and after rotation about a central shaft depositing the basket in the succeeding jar and so on.

According to the invention the jars are mounted on a rotary turntable, the basket being carried on a table capable of rising and falling relatively to the turntable and rotated by a motor mounted on the table, the table being raised and lowered by a connecting rod actuated by crank rotated through gearing driven by a motor which also rotates the turntable.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the machine, I

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the turntable and base member,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the rotating and lifting mechanism,

Figs. 3a and 3b are enlarged views showing the coaction of the star wheel and the axially displaceable vertical gear,

Fig. 4 is a perspective exploded view of the control mechanism,

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram.

The apparatus comprises a base member 1 supporting an instrument box 52 on two pillars 6. A vertical shaft or centre post 8 is mounted in a footstep bearing 1a in the base 1 and a turntable 4 is keyed to the shaft 8 adjacent the base plate, as by a key 5 adapted to interfit with the turntable boss 5 as shown in Figure 2. A plurality of jars or containers 55 preferably square in cross section and a metal jar 54 are mounted in recesses formed in the upper surface of the turntable 4. The turntable 4 is constructed with a base plate 2 and cover in which the apertures are formed to provide the recesses for the jars. The cover is supported on a centre boss 5.

A table 10 is attached to a bracket 9 on a sleeve 7 surrounding and slidable vertically on a portion of the shaft 8 and is provided with shoes 11 laid with felt inserts 11a engaging the pillars 6. The table 10 carries an electric motor 46 the spindle 12 of which passes through the table 10 and on which is keyed the basket 48 for receiving the Watch or other parts to be cleaned.

The upper end of the shaft 8 is journalled in a bearing 17a in the underside of the instrument box base plate 17 and has a star wheel 14 fixed thereon by which the shaft 8 is intermittently rotated by a second motor 22.

A vertical toothed gear 15 is mounted on a spindle 19 journalled in bearings 18 on the base plate 17, the spindle 19 being rotated intermittently by rotation of the gear 15 driven through a pinion 23 and gearing 22A from the second motor 22. A crank pin 16a is mounted eccentrically on the back'of the gear 15 and connected by a connecting rod 16 to a pin 9a carried by a bracket 13.fixed to the bracket 9 which is freely slidable verticallyon the shaft 8. As the gear 15 rotates the table 10 is raised and lowered by thecrank pin 16A and connecting rod 16, and the turntable 4 fixed to the shaft 8 is rotated a portion of a revolution by the gear 15 when one of the points of the star wheel 14 fixed to said shaft engages a slot 15a in the gear 15, and is carried around with said'gear and then disengages from said slot as the point of the star wheel leaves the plane of rotation of said gear. The gear 15 is axially loaded by a compression spring 1511 mounted between one of the stationary bearings 18 and a bush 21 fixed on shaft 19. When the parts are as inFigures 3 and 3a one of the pointsofstar wheel 14.is intslot 15a of the gear so that rotation of the gear causes rotation of the star wheel. When the intermittent movement thereby given star wheel 14 ends the point of star wheel 14 leaves slot 15a to engage and ride over the surface of moving gear 15, this being permitted as shown in Figure 3b by suflicient axial displacement of gear 15 without interrupting the mesh of gears 15 and 23. When the next star wheel point enters slot 15a the spring 15b returns the parts to the position of Figure 3a and the star wheel is again driven through a predetermined arc.

The vertical toothed gear 15 is driven by the motor 22 through suitable gearing 22a and a toothed pinion 23, the motor being energised intermittently by a switch cam 36 on a spindle driven by a third motor 32 through a pinion 33 and gear 34, the cam 36 and its cooperating switch controlling the timing of the rotation of the vertical gear 15 and star wheel 14.

Further switch cams 37 and 38 are mounted on the shaft 35 the cam 37 energising contacts controlling the motor 46 and the cam 38 energising a buzzer 30. A transformer 29 may be provided in the buzzer circuit. The main switch is operated by a cam 39 to stop the cycle of operations.

Contacts are provided on the base plate 1 to energise periodically a heater unit 49 arranged in the base of the metal jar or container as the turntable 4 is rotated.

in operation the basket 48 and inserts are removed and the watch parts are placed in the compartments of the mesh basket 48 which is attached to the motor spindle 12 on the underside of the table 10.

The motor 32 driving the cam switches is actuated by a push button 47 closing the main switch 27 to start the cycle of operations and a warning light 28 may be illuminated when the cleaning and drying is complete.

The up and down movement of table 10 is controlled by the geared motor 22 driving the toothed gear 15 through gearing 22a and pinion 23, and the switch cams on the shaft 35 which are driven by the motor 32 have peripherally spaced projections thereon that are positioned so that each cam operates sequentially at equal intervals of time the respective one of a series of micro switches all-i3. One of the cams and its cooperating switch controls the motor 22 to cause the table 10 to rise and to fall to allow the basket to descend to the bottom of one jar or container, another cam and its cooperating switch, after a predetermined interval of say one minute, causes the table to rise for the spinning off process, and another cam and its cooperating switch, after a further interval of time say /2 minute, causes the turntable 4 to rotate to the next position for a similar operation in succeeding jars containing chemicats and finally to position for a drying process in th heated metal jar or container 54.

I claim:

1. A machine for cleaning watch and similar small parts of machinery, comprising a rotary turntable, a plurality of jars mounted thereon, a table mounted for raising and lowering movements relatively to the turntable, a basket and a motor for spinning it mounted on said table, a gear carrying a crank pin and having a slot in the face thereof, a connecting rod coupled at one end to the crank pin and its other end to the table, a second motor for rotating said gear to lower and raise said table to bring the basket into and out of the jars, a star wheel connected to the turntable and positioned opposite to said face of said gear for engagement of its points in succession in the slot in said gear to intermittently rotate the turntable to bring the jars thereof in succession into position to receive the basket, cam switches electrically connected to the basket spinning motor and second motor, and a third motor for operating the cam switches to energise the basket spinning motor to rotate the basket and to energise said second motor to rotate said gear and thereby raise and lower 4 said table and to rotate said turntable in sequence and during periods which are timed by the cam switches.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein one of said jars is a heater jar, and including an electrical heater for said heater jar, and a switch for controlling the energising of the heater, said switch being closed to energise the heater by rotation of the turntable to a position to receive said basket in said heater jar and by lowering of said table to lower the basket into said heater jar.

3. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said table has portions thereof positioned to close said jars and thereby prevent escape of fumes and fluid from the jars when said table is lowered and while said basket Y is lowered and in operation in fluid in the respective 

